Caring Colleague – Week 2- Feedback and Recognition

March 9th, 2018

Feedback and Recognition Reduce Work-Related Illness

Research shows that feedback and recognition of achievements at work not only motivate us and make us perform better, but also reduces work-related illness. Therefore, this is the second topic of Aker Care’s Caring Colleague campaign.

Research conducted by the Norwegian Institute of Occupational Health and Safety shows that feedback and recognition improve both health and quality of life.

“All workers want positive and creative feedback, but if we have to choose, we rather want negative feedback than none at all. That is something to think about,” says Aker Care Psychologist Jan Martin Berge.

Improves performance and reduces ill-health

Feedback on work performance can contribute to stronger learning effects as well as improved job performance and personal development. It can also reduce uncertainty associated with understanding our professional role.

Recognizing well-executed work is also motivating and can – among other things – help prevent burnout.

Among those who rarely or never receive any feedback, five percent are “quite” or “very bothered” by work-related headaches. Additionally, 14 percent of the employees in this group report work-related pain in the neck, shoulders or upper back.

In contrast, similar figures for employees receiving feedback at least a couple of days a week are considerably lower, at three and eight percent respectively.